Pickleville’s ‘Joseph’ is downright fun

For many Utahns, Bear Lake is synonymous with summer fun. There is plenty of sun and sand and opportunties to do things not remotely associated with work. But it might be time to find a new synonym for fun.

Try: Pickleville Playhouse.

Fun was the operative word as the 2006 summer season opened with “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which runs until Sept. 1 at the likable log cabin theater on Bear Lake’s southwest corner. The setting itself, the initial stage being built in 1977, drips with ambience and the audiences are often a bit loud and rowdy. Yeah, having fun.

The Pickleville Playhouse production of “Joseph” had suprisingly few glitches, which sometimes plague community theater efforts. The dry ice performed perfectly, the lighting was top-drawer — spotlights never missed their intended targets all night long — and the performers were easy to hear and enjoy. Even the scenic backdrops, painted especially for this production and setting, helped to elevate the activity well above expectations.

Joseph, played by T. J. Davis was downright, well, Osmond-esque. Davis’ voice was soft, yet solid and true. Davis dominated the stage when he was supposed to and his smile was both infectious and absolutely hard to miss. It was also hard to miss how much fun Davis was having in the role. And his fun rubbed off on the entire cast. There was not a stiff smile, a muffed dance step or a serious bone in the body of the entire production.

David Ebert, playing Joseph, looked the part of the elder herdsman, but was a bit hard to hear. Megan Walker, playing The Narrator, chased a few high notes. For just a few brief moments early on, the recorded soundtrack got too loud. But all such little negatives were surrounded and swallowed up by the familiar story and songs, with just enough homespun ham to keep it fun, without ever getting corny.

The large cast often fills the cozy stage to overflowing. The Pickleville Players turned “One More Angel in Heaven” into a rousing hoeodown and all the ensemble numbers were toe-tappers. Davis’ renditions of “Any Dream Will Do” and “Give Me My Colored Coat” were right on target and full of heart. Even an extended and well-received curtain call, designed to show off the talents of the 20-or-so young adults in the cast, was energetic. And fun.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” as presented by the Pickleville Playhouse, is the perfect end to a day of swimming suits and sunburns — a new kind of summer fun at Bear Lake.

Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Pickleville Playhouse, Pickleville, Bear Lake

Tickets: Reservations suggested, 435-946-2918

Running time 88 minutes, plus one intermission.